Fundamentals of resilience MOOC series – Free online courses on climate and disaster resilience
Background
Climate change and disaster risks continue to intensify, placing increasing pressure on communities, institutions, and frontline practitioners to strengthen their capacity for prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Education plays a critical role in building this capacity, as emphasized in global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement. However, access to structured, inclusive, and context-relevant climate and disaster education remains uneven, particularly in hazard-prone and geographically isolated areas worldwide.
About
The Fundamentals of Resilience MOOC Series is a free, open online course series developed by the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) in partnership with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). The series is open to learners from the Philippines and other countries, and is designed to provide accessible, progressive, and practice-oriented learning on climate and disaster resilience for community members, practitioners, local government personnel, educators, students, and other interested learners.
The series consists of four self-paced massive open online courses (MOOCs):
- MOOC 1: Basics of Resilience
- MOOC 2: Hazard and Risk Assessment Fundamentals
- MOOC 3: Overview of Policies and Strategies for Climate and Disaster Resilience
- MOOC 4: Resilience Strategies Across the Four Pillars
Courses are delivered through UPOU’s Massive Open Distance eLearning (MODeL) platform. Each MOOC includes a downloadable study guide to support learners with limited internet connectivity, allowing them to complete learning activities offline prior to the final online assessment required to receive a certificate.
2026 Offering schedule
The full four-course series will be offered twice in 2026, following a staggered cycle to allow learners to progressively complete the entire series within the year:
- January–February 2026 : MOOC 1 and MOOC 2
- April–May 2026 : MOOC 3 and MOOC 4
- June–July 2026 : MOOC 1 and MOOC 2
- October–November 2026 : MOOC 3 and MOOC 4
Announcements on course enrolment, opening schedules, and related publicity materials are posted regularly on the UP Resilience Institute Facebook page.
Reach and participation
Between 2024 and 2025, the program reached 60,868 learners , with 21,042 completers , corresponding to a 34.6% completion rate , reflecting sustained student engagement in large-scale, open resilience education.
Microcredential pathway
The Fundamentals of Resilience MOOC Series also serves as a microcredential pathway to graduate education. Learners who complete all four courses may have their earned units credited toward one of the core courses in the Master in Climate and Disaster Resilience (MCDR) program being developed by UPRI and UPOU.
For updates and announcements, follow the UP Resilience Institute Facebook page or contact [email protected] .